Red, White & Blue | Bucky x Reader

Chapter Three

Bucky's procedure takes hours to complete, triggering many flashbacks and stress for him. But, once finished, Shuri assures us that everything went smoothly and all we have to do now is test it to make sure it worked.

As the stars begin to twinkle in the night sky, Ayo leads me and Bucky through the jungle, far from civilization, and any potential casualties.

We stop in a small clearing, gathering fallen branches and dead leaves before building a small campfire. The flames light up the jungle around us as the sparks lift into the sky, and I catch a glimpse of the apprehensive look on Bucky's face.

"It is time," Ayo states.

"You sure about this?" Bucky asks, taking a seat on the other side of the fire, far away from us.

"I won't let you hurt anyone," Ayo assures him.

"Neither will I," I add, walking over to stand next to Ayo. "We're in this together."

Bucky turns back to the fire in silence, staring into the flames as Ayo turns to me. I give her a nod, we're ready to begin.

"Zhelaniye," Ayo says. "Rzhavyy... Semnadtsat..."

"It's not gonna work," Bucky mumbles.

As Ayo continues to list the trigger words, Bucky tenses, preparing himself to fight against the impending Winter Soldier programming. His face contorts with pain as tears fill the corners of his eyes, and I take a step toward him, but he catches my movement and frantically shakes his head, wordlessly pleading for me to stay where I am.

"Tovarnyy vagon..." Ayo finishes.

Nothing happens, and I release the breath I didn't realize I was holding. Realization dawns on Bucky as well, the procedure worked.

Ayo smiles at him. "You are free."

Slowly, Bucky looks up at us, his eyes wide with disbelief. Tears flood my eyes as I rush to him, pressing my forehead to his as I cup his face with my palms.

"You're free," I whisper, repeating Ayo's words for him.

Bucky releases a few small sobs as he wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me into him. He buries his face into my neck as he cries, my shirt sticking to my shoulder as it becomes soaked in his tears. Looking over my other shoulder, I take Ayo's hand, giving it a tight squeeze.

"Thank you," I whisper. "Thank you so much."

She bows her head before turning into the jungle, making her way back to the city.

Bucky lifts his head from my shoulder, a wide smile spreading across his face. "I'm finally free."

I simply nod as the tears flow from my eyes. Bucky brushes back a few strands of my hair before placing his lips on mine. Much like our first kiss, this one is gentle, but it burns with desperate hunger between us. Our passion grows as our lips move together in harmony, my hands gliding up Bucky's chest. However, as they move out over his shoulders, Bucky grabs my wrist as he pulls away slightly, drooping his head as he releases a breath.

"What's wrong?" I ask before glancing at the empty space below my hovering hand, where his left arm should be. "Bucky... I love you. It doesn't matter how many limbs you have. I'll always love you."

"I love you, too," Bucky says, giving me a weak smile. It quickly disappears, and he takes a shaky breath. "Where my skin meets the metal... it's scarred... it's not a pretty sight..."

I nod in understanding, suddenly struck by inspiration.

"I never really showed these to anyone," I explain, lifting the hem of my shirt to allow the light of the campfire to illuminate the small, white scars littering my abdomen and back. "A few of these happened during the war, and from being HYDRA's prisoner... white this nasty one on my thigh is from the Battle of New York. Sometimes, the things we face leave marks on our skin, but they're not something to be ashamed of, because they serve as a reminder that the world could not kill us."

Bucky's fingers trail along my body, tracing scar after scar, finally coming to the one in the crook of my shoulder, poking out from beneath the neckline of my shirt.

"This one is from me," he says, shame clouding his eyes.

"No," I state firmly. "That one is from the Winter Soldier."

"How can you forgive me so easily?" Bucky asks. "After everything I've done?"

"Because I never saw you and the Winter Soldier as the same person," I explain. "The Winter Soldier is not who you are. You are James Buchanan Barnes, and you would never hurt me."

"But I--"

"Shh..." I interrupt. "The Winter Soldier is gone, and he's never coming back."

"He's never coming back," Bucky repeats, a smile threatening to break across his face as he kisses me.

After a second of hesitation, Bucky pulls up the hem of his shirt, slipping it over his head. I keep my eyes on his as I slowly place my hands on his shoulders, tracing his scars with my fingertips. He leans forward, kissing me again before pulling me down to the jungle floor, where we spend the rest of the night exploring each other's bodies under the moonlight.